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Robesonia Train Station
Read more: Robesonia Train StationRobesonia’s passenger rail station was built in 1856 as a stop on the Lebanon Valley line on the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, just west of the Wernersville Train Station and Sinking Spring’s passenger Station. It was located on the southern end of Robeson Street and the property was bounded on the north by Railroad Ave.…
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McGinty Motorcars
Read more: McGinty MotorcarsBack in October Pat McGinty of McGinty Motorcars was kind enough to give me a tour of his building at 1041-43 Washington Street in Reading. The structure sits on the east end of Washington near the foot of City Park. In 1882 the deed for this property was transfered to a George Schroeder, who died…
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Blind Hartman’s Tavern
Read more: Blind Hartman’s TavernBlind Hartman’s Tavern was established in 1822 by Jacob Hartman on Pricetown Road in Alsace Township. Hartman was blinded in 1786 at age four while he was playing with his baby brother when the child grasped an awl, and playfully jabbed it into Hartman’s eye, resulting in total blindness in both. This tragedy didn’t appear…
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The Stewart School: A Legacy of Coeducation
Read more: The Stewart School: A Legacy of CoeducationThis article originally appeared in the Spring 2023 edition of the Historical Review. The roots of Reading High School can be traced to the formation of the all-boys Reading Academy in 1852. A female equivalent public school was founded in 1857. By 1859 both sexes were consolidated in one classroom under one principal, Joseph Valentine,…
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Olive Leaf Union Chapel
Read more: Olive Leaf Union ChapelThe Olive Leaf Union Chapel sits on Fritztown Road just beyond Weitzelville and right before you get into Fritztown if traveling toward Lancaster. It is home to the Olive Leaf Sunday School, which has been congregating since July of 1890, previous to this in what the Reading Times described as a “nearby school” in Montello.…
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Berks County Plays Historic Part in 2024 Election
Read more: Berks County Plays Historic Part in 2024 ElectionHowever you may be feeling this morning, its impossible to deny the part Berks County has played in the 2024 election. This is a departure from my usual analyzing of the past; but I also find it important to document the present historical moment. As we all know Pennsylvania played a huge part in both…
